Wing slat anti-ice air duct system

Abstract

An anti-icing pressurized air distribution duct system for deployable wing slats wherein mutually telescoping transfer ducts interconnecting a longitudinal wing slat spray duct and a longitudinal wing supply duct, with bearing and seal means fixed on the inner transfer duct to bear slidably against the outer duct interior and remaining protected within the outer duct throughout slat extension and retraction.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. Anti-icing duct means for aircraft retractable/deployable wing slats wherein the leading edge of a wing houses a longitudinal main supply duct carrying pressurized anti-icing air and the leading edge of a wing slat houses a longitudinal spray duct for distributing anti-icing air against the slat, the duct means comprising: (a) transfer ducts extending between the supply duct and the spray duct to continuously interconnect the supply duct to the spray duct throughout deployment and retraction of the wing slats, the transfer ducts including: (i) a thin wall inner duct having one end connected to the spray duct for rotation of the inner duct about the spray duct, the other end of said inner duct forming a mating end that extends toward the supply duct;   (ii) a thin wall outer duct having one end connected to the supply duct for rotation of the outer duct about the supply duct, the other end of said outer duct forming a mating end that extends toward the spray duct, the mating end of the inner duct being telescopically engaged within the mating end of the outer duct, one portion of the mating end of the inner duct telescoping out of the outer duct during the deployment of said wing slat, another portion of the mating end of the inner duct remaining within the outer duct throughout deployment and retraction of the wing slat;   (iii) slide bearing means fixedly mounted on the exterior of the thin wall inner duct along the portion thereof that remains within the outer duct throughout the retraction and deployment of said wing slat, said slide bearing means slidably engaging the interior wall of the thin wall outer duct and providing support between the inner and outer ducts along a substantial part of the portion of the mating end of the inner duct that remains within the outer duct throughout depolyment and retraction of the wing slat; and,   (iv) seal means fixedly mounted on the exterior of the thin wall inner duct along the portion thereof that remains within the outer duct throughout the retraction and deployment of said wing slat, said seal means slidably engaging the interior wall of the thin wall outer duct and providing a seal between the inner and outer ducts throughout deployment and retraction of the wing slat.     
     
     
       2. The anti-icing duct means defined in claim 1, including an edge reinforcing means extending around the tip of the mating end of the thin wall outer duct. 
     
     
       3. The anti-icing duct means defined in claim 2, wherein the reinforcing means comprises an annular member extending beyond the end of the duct and having an inner diameter less than the interior diameter of the outer duct, thereby to shear off ice accumulations for clearance thereof from the outer duct interior wall.